AURORA, COLO. ? The University of Colorado chose two former lawmakers Friday to head a commission that will spend the next three months investigating whether the school’s football program enticed recruits with alcohol-fueled sex parties that may have led to rape.

Two university regents questioned the plan, suggesting the commission won’t be impartial and lacks leaders familiar with sexual violence issues.

Speaking in front of a packed crowd at an emergency meeting of the regents, university President Elizabeth Hoffman chose Democrat Peggy Lamm and Republican Joyce Lawrence to co-chair the commission.

The panel must report its findings by April 30 on whether “sex and alcohol are used as recruiting tools” — claims school and athletics officials have insisted are untrue.

The state’s flagship university has been caught in a firestorm since depositions surfaced last week about a December 2001 off-campus party in Boulder attended by football players and recruits. Three women who say they were raped at or just after the party sued the school, saying it fostered a hostile environment for women in violation of federal gender equity laws.

Boulder District Attorney Mary Keenan declined to file rape charges but said in a depositions leaked to reporters she believed sex was used to lure recruits and that athletics officials had ignored her demands to crack down.

New allegations surfaced late Friday when police in neighboring Broomfield said they were investigating claims that the CU athletic department was tied to an incident involving an escort service at a hotel. KUSA-TV in Denver reported Friday that a woman said an employee of the school’s football office paid thousands of dollars in cash for “adult entertainment services” at a hotel.

A CU athletic department spokesman said the school was “totally blind-sided” by the latest accusation and declined to comment.

The fallout for CU has been dramatic: Gov. Bill Owens warned the university to take action or he would step in, Regent Jim Martin said he received a death threat from a CU booster and football coach Gary Barnett said he lost two potential recruits.

“This has been a horrific week,” Regent Pat Hayes said. “It’s like having a knife in your heart and every day someone’s turning it a little more.”

The regents backed the commission plan on a 7-2 vote, with Martin and Regent Cindy Carlisle dissenting.

“We have a black eye with the state of Colorado if not the country,” said Martin, who questioned whether the university could thoroughly investigate itself.

“My goal has been to do exactly that,” Hoffman replied. “My goal is independence and impartiality throughout this process.”

Carlisle, whose husband is an attorney representing one of the women suing CU, said neither Lamm nor Lawrence has a legal background or experience dealing with violence against women.

However, she said she would reserve judgment on whether the public will be able to trust the panel’s conclusions.